5 on Friday: inspiring quotes from books I've read recently

Sometimes, a story says it all. And lately I’ve found that while reading fiction, a line of text or a word picture will hit directly where I’m at and speak to my soul. Here’s a sampling of some quotes that have inspired me and caused me to think, from books that I’ve read in the last couple of months. I recommend each of these books for the storylines, truths and soul-stirring writing.

• Like so many things Henry had wanted in life it had arrived a little damaged. Imperfect. But he didn’t care; this was all he wanted. Something to hope for and he’d found it. It didn’t matter what condition it was in. —Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
• “See that light?” he asked me when the firefly lit up his hand. “This light is bright enough to light up a little speck of the night sky so a  man can see it a ways away. That’s what God expects us to do. We’re to be lights in the dark, cold days that are this world. Like fireflies in December.” — Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent
• Eliza knew she should go below. But she had never been very good at obeying authority. Besides, she’d rather be blown to bits on deck than die below cramped in the rank belly of the ship. —Forsaken Dreams by Marylu Tyndall
• Be still and I will fight for you. Only instead of comfort, the words brought fear and doubt. Because as much as she wanted to believe them, the Lord did not fight for Micah when she’d begged Him to more than four years ago. She knew firsthand that her definition of deliverance did not match up with God’s. A small part of her thought maybe she was better off fighting for herself. But the words whispered over and over again. Be still and I will fight for you. — Wishing on Willows by Katie Ganshert.
• She’d called her young infatuation love, but when she looked into her heart now, nothing there resembled those girlish feelings. Everything was so much richer and deeper–as if what had come before was simply an artist’s preliminary sketch, void of detail and color, and over the last few weeks, that same artist had brushed the canvas of her heart with masterful strokes, creating a vibrant work that left her breathless. — Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer